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In the Dr Who episode last night ('The Doctor Dances') a tape recorder was used in the story (recording the responses of a patient in a hospital). Although this a rather anachronistic as the story was set in 1940/41, the recorder appeared to carry a Wearite badge. Did Wearite make tape recorders and how big was their involvement in this market? Certainly, from a technological point of view, the recorder shown last night looked ten years more advanced than the electronics available in 1941 (although in a show about time travel anything is possible!).

Hi Quantum, I too saw the wearite label on the machine, and must admit never heard of it even though i am fairly conversant with alot of reel to reels. To me the machine looked to be more from the mid to late fifties. I suppose when they are using props they dont expect people to be that observant about dates.

I didn't see this episode (I'll probably watch it this evening on BBC3) but I've certainly heard of Wearite tape recorders. I agree they wouldn't have been around in 1940 though - there were wire recorders at that time, but most recording used disc recorders (as used by BBC reporters for many 'live' wartime reports).

I must admit to getting a bit annoyed about lazy unnecessary anachronisms like this, especially in a series watched by many children. It's much worse than, say, showing a DAC90 in a wartime scene.

It is, Sam. Wright and Weaire sold decks to other manufacuturers as well as using them in Ferrographs.
I spotted the one on Dr Who - looks like the same deck as the early Ferro - Series 2 (?) that does not have a counter and the main knob is black - no 'window', and head cover slotted for tape.
Our tape experts will probably aid by fading memory on these.

Something else I remember about it was that it was twin speed, which would probably place it in the late '50s at the earliest. I suppose that the tape had to be used, despite the anachronism, so the story could continue with the voice of the child speaking after the tape had run through (the child was present) while not being noticed straight away. A disk recorder would have some crackle in the recording so it would have been immediately apparent when it came to an end and the 'live' voice started.

As well as Ferrograph, Weare and Wright tape decks were used in Vortexion tape recorders. The BBC used some Vortexion equipment, in particular loudspeaker or PA amplifiers, which may have been modified for the application. They were used in conjunction with a low frequency oscillator, which could have been a beat frequency type ( a TS 9 or TS10 from memory). The output of the Vortexion amplifier was used to drive the capstan motor of one of a pair of EMI BTR2s on occasions when a variation on standard mains frequency was needed, usually to correct for a recording made at the "wrong" frequency.

One BBC engineer claimed that the best Wearite decks went to Vortexion with the rejects being used in Ferrographs but this could have been professional snobbery as Ferrographs were not considered good enough for anything other than "listening" machines. (To allow programme producers and researchers to listen to tapes).

Another piece of equipment whch our BTR suite had (probably most had) was a notch filter, normally used to remove mains hum. On one ocassion however this was nearly misapplied through musical ignorance.

A recording of Piobroch (Pipe Music) was being sent "down the line" one evening at Festival time from Edinburgh to Bush House for broadcast on the World Service. The Bush House engineer reported a fault due to what he described as 400 c/s hum and asked if a portable generator (aircraft type) had been used for the recording. This meant holding expensive Post Office lines for a possible re-transmission so the OB recording engineer was 'phoned at home. He confirmed that a generator had been used but it was a 50c/s one. (All this was pre-Hz) and was mystified, as was everone else.

At that moment the old maintenance engineer appeared in the control room in Edinburgh on the way home from a studio concert. As it was known that he was a ex Boys Brigade piper, he was asked his opinion and listened to the "hum" on the recording. This was duly given "Aye, it's there alright - but its not 400c/s, it 440 - the A above middle C". All wondered at such precision. The explanation was mildly dissmisive "Tell the pair sassenach no' tae worry it's called the drone o' the pipes, an' he can get away home".

The later ones where series 2 and onwards, the series 2 had no counter like my 100YD but the lifting handle is on the front of a series 2 not in the centre of the recorder, My machine was built in 1949.

The earlier decks start from 1037 made by AEG called the tonescriber (German) and I would have image by 1049 the Marconi Stille

Steel tape recorder where in the BBC form the late 30's to the early 50's when a brand new invention came out, the paper tape, the EMI BTR-1 was the first to use this, in 1948 the domestic Brush Sound mirror came out, the TP sound mirror came shortly after.

( this is from memory as I did not video the episode )
I immediately noticed that this was wrong for 1941 ( as i guess in episode 1 was Big Ben Tower illuminated !! ) , thanks to searching the internet from earlier ( I have a WVA 2 and was searching for its value a few months back ).

The powers the Child had got from the alien medical repair nanoagents included the ability to utilise any loudspeaker device for communication , hence the voice continiung after the tape had run out ( but dont the wearite decks have a cut off arm that stops the tape when the end of it has passed through ? )

The powers the Child had got from the alien medical repair nanoagents included the ability to utilise any loudspeaker device for communication , hence the voice continiung after the tape had run out ( but dont the wearite decks have a cut off arm that stops the tape when the end of it has passed through ? )

I'm not sure about the early ones, but my series-6 Ferrograph has one. You wouldn't fail to notice the auto-stop triggering either! Makes quite a satisfying mechanical *klunk*!

The child using the 'speakers to communicate was in the first one too - the telephones, and the nice Woodie in the front-room of the house! Couldn'y identify it, but I want one like it now!

Sam

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